Gordie Howe’s name has long belonged to hockey history, but this week it took on a new place in the real world: the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
The Detroit Red Wings great was front and center in the bridge’s first day of crossings, not just in name but on a commemorative postcard handed to the 7,500 people who used it on opening day. The old-style card shows Howe in his Red Wings uniform, with an embossed red No. 9 over his left shoulder and a photo of the bridge beside him.
It is signed “Mr. Hockey.”
The back of the card carries a message in French and English, Canada’s official languages: Opening Day. July 27, 2026.
History is written in this moment. You are among the first travellers to cross a new signature gateway that connects communities, strengthens economies and creates new opportunities for generations to come.
The ceremonial launch on Monday also included members of the Howe family, and a car carrying them was the first to cross the international span. In a statement, the family said, “The Howe family is so grateful that our father and mother’s legacy of love continues to live on through the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge,” the family said in a statement. “They lived to celebrate humanity, hope, and human connection.
“They are no doubt smiling down upon us all, and we are humbled by the magnificence and magnitude of this moment. Blessings to you all!”
The bridge itself stretches between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan, crossing the Detroit River. It is a six-lane, cable-stayed bridge with a main span of 853 metres and a total length of approximately 2.5 kilometres, making it the longest of its kind in North America.
It also comes with modern ports of entry on both sides of the border, along with advanced screening and border management technologies. Together, those features are designed to make it one of the most advanced and secure land border crossings in North America.
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